Shadows of the Past
by Data Girl 3
Summary: Halley's friends uncover an old log that details the events of her life following her arrival on Turo, which enables them to learn all about Halley's incredible, and sometimes painful, past. May become T later on.
1. Prologue

**Shadows of the Past**

Prologue

"I've already told you, amigos," Halley commented as she looked up from the _Star Dragon's_ navigational computer, which was in the process of being rewired, "you really don't have to do this. I can handle the repairs on my own."

"We know we don't have to, Halley, but we're going to!" Lilo smiled as Stitch disappeared into a gaping hole in the roof to repair the lighting system. "If it wasn't for you, Karanga might have killed Pleakley and me. Then you kept Hamsterviel from getting Stitch, and saved our lives soon afterward. Now, it's our turn to help you." Halley sighed at Lilo's reasoning, then turned her attention to a pile of futuristic-like tools arranged on the floor next to her.

"Jookiba!" Halley yelled after a moment, turning to the four-eyed Alien scientist. "Did you take my F.E.N.C.A.?"

"Your F.E.N.C.A, Comet?" Jumba blinked, trying to sound innocent.

"Yes! My Federation Edition Navigational Control Advancer!"

"What makes you be thinking I took it?"

"Well, let's see. There was that solar panel I was using with my ship's backup power grid last week that I miraculously found in your ship, then there was the hyperdrive unit components that somehow managed to turn up in the room you and Pleakley share, the stabilizer for my weapons system, my communicator's power link, shall I go on?"

"Can't you just be giving me the benefit of a doubt?"

"That's not a fair question, Jookiba."

"All right, fine. I just borrowed it. But, I'll be bringing it back now."

"I'm coming with you. Just to see if I can find anything else you've 'borrowed', amigo."

As Halley and Jumba went off, Pleakley entered with a crate.

"Look what I found in Halley's storage room. There has to be something in here to help with the repairs." However, when the crate was opened, there was nothing inside it but a stuffed Martian doll, a photo album, and a thin black box.

"I wonder why Halley would have these on her ship?" Pleakley wondered out loud.

"Pleakley, don't you remember Halley saying something about good bounty hunters keeping tokens to remind themselves of places they've been?" Lilo asked. "I bet this doll belonged to Halley when she was a kid." Stitch, meanwhile, was looking inside the photo album and began pointing at the first picture. In it, two men were standing side by side in front of a ship that looked remarkably like Halley's. One of the men was holding the hand of a small girl with black hair and green eyes.

"Hey!" Lilo stared. "That girl's eyes! There's an orchid corona around the pupils. It's Halley! Only she's a kid in this picture."

"You're right! That man who's holding her hand must be her father. Wow. He's pretty handsome for a human." Pleakley added.

"Cobra!" Stitch cried, pointing to the other man.

"Cobra Bubbles?" Lilo gasped as she looked at the other man. She almost didn't recognize him. He had hair when this picture had been taken.

"No wonder Halley and Cobra Bubbles always talk so informally when they see each other." Pleakley realized. "Halley's father must have worked with him."

The second picture was the last one as well. This one, seeing how Halley looked the same as she did now, had been taken recently. In it, Halley had her arms wrapped around two Aliens that resembled wild dogs, one male, and the other female. All three were smiling happily.

"I wonder who they are?" Lilo stated, as Pleakley opened the black box.

"Oh!" He cried, holding up a strange device. "I recognize this. It's like a diary, that records your voice and transfers your words to writing."

"So this is Halley's diary!" Lilo cried in excitement. "What's it say?"

"Lilo, you know you shouldn't read someone else's private thoughts."

"But Halley's our friend now. Shouldn't we want to know as much as we can about her?"

"Read, read, read!" Stitch urged.

"Oh, all right. Fine." Pleakley switched the device on and begin to read.

* * *

"Today, I have finally caught Karanga. Many times, I feared this day might never come. But now, it has. Before I can continue my life however, I think the time has long since passed to look back on how far I've come. I must first think back to how it all started…." 


	2. Chapter 1: The Crash

Chapter 1: The Crash

The morning sky over the government base, Area 51, was a fine aquamarine blue without a single cloud in sight. A single hanger slowly opened allowing a handsome young man of Mexican decent to view the beauty of the day.

"Fine day for the test flight, wouldn't you agree, Marion, mi amigo?" The man asked his African American friend standing nearby, with a thick Mexican accent.

"Yes, it is. But I still can't shake the feeling that I should go along," replied the younger Cobra Bubbles.

"What's the matter? You don't think I can handle things up there?" The Mexican man gave Cobra an impish grin.

"I didn't say that, Gutierre, and you know it."

"Marion, mi amigo, you seriously need to get yourself a sense of humor."

"And you need to get yourself a sense of discretion. Well, I suppose you best get a move on."

"Well, I can't go without my little co-pilot, can I? Have you seen her?"

"Yes, and it looks like she's seen us, too. She's coming now." As if on cue, an eight-year-old Halley hurried over, clinging to a stuffed Martian doll.

"Mr. Bubbles!" Halley cried happily.

"Good morning, little Halley," Cobra nodded at the young girl. "I see you're ready to go?"

"Yep! Mariti's ready too!" Halley grinned, holding up her doll. "Is the ship ready to go, Daddy?"

"It sure is, my little co-pilot," Gutierre replied, ruffling his daughter's black hair. Go find your seat, and get settled. We'll be leaving as soon as I finish speaking with Mr. Bubbles." Halley raced into an extraterrestrial craft waiting further back in the hanger.

"I see you're still taking your girl with you. Are you sure that's wise?"

"Marion, you know perfectly well. My wife, Halley's mother, is no longer around. All we have now is each other. As long as we're together, we're home, no matter where we are. Home is where your heart is, and your heart is always with your family."

"Very well. Good luck, my friend."

"You know me."

"That's what I mean." Cobra and Gutierre shook hands, and Gutierre entered the spacecraft. Halley was already sitting in the co-pilot's seat, hugging Mariti the Martian doll, and looking eager to get going.

"Daddy, are we really going to try and find Aliens out in space?" Halley asked excitedly.

"Halley, what have I always told you? Some try…"

"Proximas do!" Halley finished.

"That's right." Gutierre smiled as he began to activate the spacecraft. As the ship began to hover above the ground, Gutierre spoke into the com-link. "Marion, the _Star Dragon _is ready to spread her wings."

"The sky is ready for you, _Star Dragon_," Cobra's voice replied. "Time to test your wings." With that, Gutierre flew the spacecraft out of the hanger and into the clear blue sky.

"Wow! Everything looks so different up here!" Halley looked out the window as the Star Dragon flew up through Earth's atmosphere and into space. "The stars are so pretty!"

"Yes, they are. Why don't you take a nap, Halley? I'm going to test out the hyperdrive unit. I'll come wake you up when we find something."

"Okay, Daddy!" Halley obediently walked into a separate room in the Star Dragon where two cots had been attached to the titanium walls. Hugging Mariti, Halley crawled into one of the cots and fell asleep.

"Halley!" Gutierre urgently shook Halley awake. "Halley, get up, now! Hurry!"

"Huh? Daddy, what's wrong?"

"There was an accident, Halley," Gutierre explained as he took Halley by the hand and pulled her into the cockpit. "When we exited hyperspace, we accidentally came out in the path of a meteor shower. I tried to dodge them, but one hit the Star Dragon pretty hard. She's damaged the main engine. There's no time to fix it, but sensors indicate a small group of planets nearby. I hopefully can land this ship successfully." Once Halley and Gutierre were in the cockpit, Gutierre placed Halley in one of the seats and began to secure her with the crash webbing. "Halley, listen to me, now. I want you to sit here quietly, and hold tight to Mariti. Daddy needs his full concentration for a few minutes. I'm going to try to find somewhere to land, then I'm going out to see about repairs. So I need you to sit here and not take off your crash webbing. Everything will be fine." Halley began to nod in understanding, but then cried out.

"Daddy, watch out!" Halley pointed to the windshield. Gutierre turned quickly to see a planet in their path, which was approaching fast. There was no time to reach the controls and steer away. Instinctively, Gutierre threw himself over Halley to protect her. Instantly, the _Star Dragon_ crashed into the planet, where it plowed along, following the rules of kinetics, for a full mile before it stopped upon making impact with a large jutting stone rising up from the planet's surface. The impact had sent Gutierre flying backwards. Halley's body lurched forward with such force, the straps of her crash webbing cut into her skin, drawing blood. Looking up, she searched for her father, and finally saw him lying on the floor nearby.

"Daddy? Daddy, are you all right?" Halley cried out in fear. Gutierre didn't respond to his daughter's voice. Blood was now flowing from a cut in Halley's forehead, and she lost consciousness.

"How is she?" A concerned voice asked.

"She's still weak from her injuries. But my opinion is that she will live."

"And the adult?"

"He… didn't make it, majesty."

Halley moaned as her eyes opened. Two shadowy figures were standing over her, talking with each other. Her vision was blurred, so she couldn't make them out.

"So that means she is the only survivor. The poor dear." One of the figures spoke.

Halley's head was swimming with so many scattered memories. A fast approaching planet, the _Star Dragon_ crashing, her father lying on the floor, her father!

"Daddy!" Halley moaned, trying to sit up. "Daddy! Where's Daddy?"

"It's all right, young one," soothed a kind, gentle voice as someone gently pushed her back down. "Everything will be all right. Just rest now."

"Daddy." Halley's eyes filled with tears as she slipped back to sleep.

Halley woke up again hours later, and looked around the strange room. She was lying down in a soft cot in what looked something like a doctor's office. Bandages were covering her arms and forehead. Slowly, Halley got up and walked to a window in the room. Looking out, she saw a great city illuminated by three moons and many stars. Behind her, the door in the room opened. Halley turned her head and froze at the sight of her visitor. The visitor was about the size of an average human, but she was far from human. Her skin was a pale greenish-blue color, and her eyes were an eerie blue color against a black background. The sight of the Alien caused Halley to back away.

"It's all right, young one," the Alien spoke in a kind voice. Halley recognized it as one of the voices she had heard earlier.

"Where am I?" Halley asked. "Where's Daddy?"

"One question at a time, young one. You are on the planet Turo. You have been unconscious for half a day. Members of the Galactic Federation found you in the wreckage of your spacecraft yesterday."

"Galactic Federation? Is that your government?"

"Something like that. I am the Grand Councilwoman. I am the head of the Galactic Federation."

"I'm Halley. Halley Proxima. Daddy works in the government from my planet as well."

"Please explain something to me, Halley. How did you and your father find that particular spacecraft? You see, I know for a fact that a few members of the Galactic Federation were piloting a craft similar to this one, hoping to study other planets. But, they never came back."

"Yes. Daddy told me the story. The ship crashed on my planet a long time ago. Everyone aboard died. People from our government found the ship and the dead Aliens and took them to their base. My father came to work with the same people, and he studied the Aliens and their ship. He repaired the ship and named it the _Star Dragon_. He was test piloting it when we came into that meteor shower, and we crashed."

"Ah. All this time, we never knew what happened. Now we do." The Grand Councilwoman sighed. "Thank you for telling me, Halley. I'd like you to come with me. You must be hungry after your ordeal." Halley suddenly realized how empty her stomach was. However, as the Grand Councilwoman started to lead the way out of the room, Halley pulled her cape.

"Wait! Where's Daddy? Is he all right?" Halley cried. The Grand Councilwoman looked at her sadly.

"You can see him soon, but not now, I'm afraid. First, you should get your bearings here on Turo. You might be here for a while. Now come with me. We'll find you something to eat."

* * *

"Wow. Poor Halley." Lilo said, as Pleakley finished the entry. "I know how it feels to lose your dad."

"_Star Dragon_." Pleakley mused. "That's the name of this ship. I wonder if this is the same ship?"

"Wouldn't that mean that were sitting in the spot where Halley's dad died?" Lilo asked uncomfortably. After a tense moment, Pleakley spoke up.

"Maybe we should continue reading," he offered.

"Good idea."

"Ih."


	3. Chapter 2: A New Career

Note: Sorry for not updating in a while. That's what happens when schoolwork, Writer's Block, and a burned-out hard drive collide.

Also, the paragraph in italics is a flashback, and the story mentioned in this chapter really exists. It's called The Husband of the Rat's Daughter.

* * *

Chapter 2: A New Career 

Halley looked out of her bedroom window and down at the great city of Turo. She had come to love the arrangement of the stars and the three moons on this planet in the course of the nine years she had spent here. However, even though Turo was a fine place, it was not home.

Letting out a sigh, Halley turned to examine her reflection in the mirror. Her reflection had indeed changed quite a bit since she had crashed on Turo all those years ago. And not just because she had gotten taller. While the physical wounds she had received in the crash had healed a long time ago, the wounds beneath the skin were still open. The Grand Councilwoman had told her the truth about her father the day after the crash. Her father had died almost instantly when the _Star Dragon_ had crashed. The Grand Councilwoman had arranged for his body to be buried at the crash-site. Halley visited her father every year on the anniversary of his death like clockwork. In mourning, Halley had dyed her hair silvery-gray, the color of mourning on Turo.

"Halley!" A loud voice yelled from the hallway, interrupting the girl's thoughts. Halley groaned in disgust as the door opened and a tall, muscular whale-like Alien entered.

"All right, Halley," the Alien began in a bossy tone. "Where's my Galaxy Avenger kit?"

"Your toys? I give up!" Halley replied in a jaded air. The Alien looked at her with his narrowed solid blue eyes, and immediately began to search her room. "Gunteric Gantu Jr., get out of my stuff!" Halley demanded. "I didn't take your lousy junk. I can get my own junk." Gantu ignored Halley, and reached into a drawer and pulled out an old stuffed Martian doll, which Halley quickly snatched away. "Just because your father's the Ambassador of your planet, it doesn't give you the right to order the rest of us around, you know!" Gantu turned to Halley with a sneer.

"Jealous, earth form? You might be the Grand Councilwoman's little pet, but you are still not a true, legal member of the Galactic Federation. I'd love to see you do anything of worth here." Gantu turned and started to walk out.

"Oh, you are so right, Guppy Gill," Halley replied, sarcastically. "If only I was an elephant-footed whale shark on steroids like you. Then maybe, maybe… SHUT THE DOOR!" When Gantu kept walking away down the hall, with no indication that he had heard her, Halley grunted and closed the door herself. Ever since she and Gantu had met, they had been rivals. When Halley had first arrived on Turo, the Grand Councilwoman had provided for her every need, giving her a place to stay, supporting her financially, and helping her adapt to Turo. Halley, wanting to pay the Grand Councilwoman back for everything she had done for her, made it a priority to be able to do anything that could make her useful to the Galactic Federation. However, because of that, it seemed that everything Gantu, whose father was extremely strict and believed in tough love, could do, Halley could do just as well, if not better. While Halley never thought much about it, Gantu obviously felt offended that he could be outshone by someone from an underdeveloped planet like Earth. As a result, he never stopped trying to find a way to do her one better, and often insulted her because of her Earthly origin. Sighing, Halley gently placed Mariti the Martian doll back into the drawer, and picked up a case filled with some tools she had collected on Turo. Tucking the case under her arm, she exited her room and headed to an old and long abandoned hanger not too far from the Galactic Federation's Main Hall, where all the council meetings took place. Inside the hanger was the damaged _Star Dragon_. Ever since Halley and her father had crashed on Turo, Halley had been secretly trying to repair the craft. After the injuries she had gained in the crash had healed, Halley had taken up a small job as an assistant to a local Alien mechanic called Dlapny. From him, Halley had learned more about Alien machines and spacecraft then most of the other Aliens on Turo. Halley had been using this knowledge to restore the _Star Dragon_ to its original state, and maybe make it a little better. As her father used to say, 'a wise person always viewed everything they did as a work in progress. Everyone should always look for a way to make something even better, if given the chance. That was how technology was able to become what it was.' As a tribute to her father's memory, Halley worked long and hard on repairing and rebuilding the _Star Dragon_. The memory of her beloved father sent a sudden feeling of loneliness throughout Halley's heart.

_Come on, Halley,_ she thought, shaking her head. _Get your thoughts back on the task at hand. You have work to do, and memories won't bring Father back._ With that, Halley opened the case and took out a Federation Edition Navigational Control Advancer, or F.E.N.C.A. for short, entered the ship, and went to work. As she worked, she happened to glance over to an old radio that her father had taken with them when they had left Earth all those years ago. After a moment's hesitation, she started it up, and the familiar sound of her father's favorite vocalist, Neil Diamond, echoed throughout the _Star Dragon_. As Halley went back to work, she smiled, thinking about how much she could relate to the song that was playing. After a moment, she began to sing along, adding her own lyrics here and there, to make the song fit her.

_(Turo's) fine, the sun shines most of the time_

_And the feeling is 'lay back'_

_(Progress grows) and (worries) are low_

_But you know I keep thinkin' about_

_Making my way back_

_Well I'm (Mexican)_

_Born and raised_

_But nowadays I'm lost between two (worlds)_

_(Turo's) fine, but it ain't home_

_(Mexico's) home, but it ain't mine no more_

"_I am," I said_

_To no one there_

_And no one heard at all_

_Not even the chair_

"_I am," I cried_

"_I am," said I_

_And I am lost, and I can't even say why_

_Leavin' me lonely still_

_Did you ever read about a frog who dreamed of bein' a king_

_And then became one_

_Well except for the names and a few other changes_

_If you talk about me, the story's the same one_

_But I got an emptiness deep inside_

_And I've tried, but it won't let me go_

_And I'm not a (girl) who likes to swear_

_But I never cared for the sound of being alone_

"_I am," I said_

_To no one there_

_And no one heard at all_

_Not even the chair_

_"I am," I cried _

_"I am," said I_

_And I am lost, and I can't even say why_

_Leavin' me lonely still_

As the song ended, Halley stretched out her muscles, and looked at her progress in satisfaction. The _Star Dragon's_ repairs were nearly completed. All she needed now was a few spare parts to replace the main power grid. The problem was, these parts were quite difficult to locate unless you were in the business of building Alien spacecrafts.

"Miss. Proxima?" A feeble-sounding voice began. Halley looked toward the door to see Dlapny standing there. "I didn't think you'd come today, what with the Festival of Unification going on. Did you forget about that?"

"I didn't forget, Dlapny. I was just planning to go down there now to see if I could find some spare parts for the _Star Dragon's _power grid."

"You really do love this junk-pile, don't you Miss. Proxima?"

"This junk-pile, as you so delicately put it, mi amigo, is my baby. My father dedicated his life to her. How could I do anything less?"

"Yes, of course. You better get going, then. Otherwise, all the choice spare parts will be already taken."

Sometime later, Halley arrived at the festival. Every year, this celebration was held to remember the day the Galactic Federation was established. The festival was always chock full with Aliens from all across the Federation, some of them trying to sell goods from their planets, others providing entertainment to the younger Aliens. Halley's favorite thing about this festival, however, was that they always had an entire section dedicated solely to the latest Alien state-of-the-art technology. She often spent hours there, searching for anything that could help her repair and improve the _Star Dragon_. Today, she hoped she could find the spare parts she needed.

Halley moved about the festival, thankful Dlapny had designed her bio-mechanical armor in such a way that it hid her physical appearance. Most Aliens had no idea that Halley was a human from Earth. The only Aliens who knew the truth was Dlapny and his wife, the Grand Councilwoman, and Tion-Fun, the Alien medic who had once treated Halley after the _Star Dragon_ crashed on Turo, and of course, Gunteric Gantu Jr.

Suddenly, Halley saw a plasma blast out of the corner of her eye. She looked over to one booth to see Gantu trying his luck at a target range. However, he wasn't having much luck, and kept missing the target.

"Gantu, try aiming, instead of shooting randomly." Halley offered, trying to be helpful. Gantu, once he saw who had spoken, however, responded with a sneer.

"No one asked you. Besides, what could you know about it? You've never even held a plasma cannon."

"Suit yourself. Just don't come to me when you fry an innocent bystander."

"Hey! You think you can do better? You try!"

"Are you serious?"

"You obviously think you can do better then I could. Let's see you try."

"Okay, then. I will." Halley took the plasma cannon from Gantu, and spent a moment to judge its weight and design.

"Come on, hurry up!" Gantu smirked, confidant that Halley wouldn't be able to hit the target.

"Don't rush me," Halley ordered, taking aim. "A good starship can't be built in a day." After a brief moment, Halley fired. Much to Gantu's surprise, the plasma blast hit all three targets with direct hits.

"How did you…." He stammered in shock.

"That was amazing!" The target range's director exclaimed. "Was this _really_ you first time holding a plasma canon?"

"It's not that big of a deal." Halley shrugged. "The secret is to incorporate the weight and design of the plasma cannon into your judgment of the target and firing range. I might not know much about firearms, but I do know my machines." With that, Halley continued on her way, leaving Gantu fuming.

Sometime later, Halley returned to her room, hardly believing her luck. She had spent three hours searching through the festival, and right when she had decided to try again next year, she had found exactly what she had been looking for: an outdated power grid, which was probably still in working order. It wouldn't be too hard for her to disassemble the unit and adjust its parts to work within the _Star Dragon_. She could even use the remaining parts to examine and tinker with.

As soon as Halley had placed the unit on a trunk in her room, she heard a low buzz, announcing that someone was outside her room. After making sure her bio-mechanical armor was on properly, she opened the door, where two officials she recognized as members of the Federation Council were waiting.

"Excuse the interruption, Miss Proxima, but the Grand Councilwoman has asked us to fetch you."

"Why? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"We cannot say. Please, come along."

After a short period of time, Halley stood outside the Grand Councilwoman's chambers, where she was asked to wait. She didn't have to wait long, when the Grand Councilwoman emerged, along with Dlapny and another Alien Halley recognized as the one who had run the target range stand at the festival.

"You wished to see me, your majesty?" Halley asked, bowing as she always did to sow her respect for the elderly Alien.

"Dlapny and I have just been talking with Renu about you, Halley," the Grand Councilwoman smiled, gesturing to the target range Alien. "He's told me about your performance at the festival today, and has presented a proposition."

"I don't always run a target booth, Miss Proxima." Renu explained. "I run an elite academy that helps train Aliens for the highest branches of military service and bounty hunting. From what Dlapny tells me, not only are you incredibly gifted at sharp shooting, but you also are a mechanical genius."

"Only if you'd call the tinkering I do genius." Halley shrugged. "Are you trying to ask me to join this academy of yours?"

"You don't have to decide right away, of course." Renu offered. "Just think about it, and if you decide you wish to join, this contains the star charts you'll need to find my academy." Renu handed Halley a small device. "Now, you'll have to forgive me, but I cannot stay much longer. I trust you'll consider my offer, Miss Proxima."

"I shall," Halley replied after a moment, looking down at the device.

Days passed. Halley was standing within the _Star Dragon_, closing up the console where the power grid resided.

"Well, Father, that's it." She whispered, half to herself. "I did everything I could think of. You put everything you had into making her ready to fly again after she crashed on Earth all those years ago. It's time to see if I can say the same thing; if I've lived up to your name." Closing her eyes in silent prayer, Halley reached out and rested her hand on a black sensor. A quarter minute of silence went by before the sensor began to glow blue. One-by-one, the entire console's collection of buttons and levers began to illuminate, as the _Star Dragon_, after nine long years of lying dormant within the old hanger, rumbled to life.

That evening, Halley moved about her room collecting the few belongings she felt comfortable calling hers. Most things in her room had been there when she began living on Turo, and it felt wrong to take them, not when she had felt no attachment to them. There were only a few things Halley wanted to take with her. These included the various tools she had gathered while working for Dlapny, and her two treasured possessions, an old photo album containing a picture of her with her father and his co-worker, Cobra, which was taken the day before she and her father left Earth, and her Martian doll, Mariti. Once everything was together, she carried her things down to the _Star Dragon_, where she turned on Renu's device of star charts to locate the academy he had told her about.

As the Star Dragon flew away from Turo, Halley remembered what Gantu had said to her the day of the festival. 'You might be the Grand Councilwoman's little pet, but you are still not a true, legal member of the Galactic Federation. I'd love to see you do anything of worth here.'

"Next time we meet, Guppy Gill," Halley vowed, engaging the hyperdrive unit, "I will have."

The Star Dragon landed down at the place indicated by Renu's star charts, which was a tall building constructed on as asteroid. However, when Halley exited the ship in her bio-mechanical armor, she couldn't help notice that the building and the area around it was completely deserted. Slowly, she entered the building and looked around. The first thing she noticed was that the lighting was not working, and there was no sound of anyone moving around.

_I know I didn't expect a welcoming ceremony, but this still doesn't feel right. _Halley thought, as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Suddenly, a door she had not noticed before opened, and three muscular Aliens resembling horned toads emerged and looked down at her.

"How did you get out here?" One of the Toad Aliens demanded in an unfriendly tone.

"I don't understand the question. Listen, I was told to come here by an Alien called Renu. Can you tell me where he is?" The three Toad Aliens did not acknowledge Halley's question.

"Take her down with the others." The first Toad Alien ordered. However, as soon as the other Toad Aliens reached for her, Halley reacted, striking one in the head with her forearm, and grabbing the wrist of the other and flipping him to the ground.

"Didn't think I could do that, did you amigo?" Halley quipped, knocking the remaining Toad Alien into the titanium wall with her shoulder. "Note to self: thank the Grand Councilwoman for funding my exclusive martial arts lessons and rigorous physical conditioning classes." Deciding not to wait around for the Toad Aliens to regain consciousness, Halley hurried down the corridor. However, she ended up at a dead end. Just when she was about to turn back and try another way, a loud siren rang through the hall. Moments later, a score of more Toad Aliens appeared, blocking her only exist. A second later, Halley registered the fact that all the Aliens had plasma cannons pointed at her. As the Toad Aliens opened fire, Halley felt the floor beneath her feet disappear, and she fell through a gaping hole, narrowly missing the blasts from the plasma cannons. Instead of falling down into a large pit, Halley felt a thin arm supporting her. Opening her eyes, she saw a new Alien. This one looked like a seven-foot-tall black ant with blood-red eyes. This Alien's arm was wrapped around Halley's waist, preventing her from falling any further.

"I guess I got there in time." The Alien laughed kindly. "To be honest, I'm surprised you survived this long against those Vilions."

"Vilions?"

"That's what those Aliens are called. They come from a planet of assassins, and a horde of them lay siege to this place a standard week ago; captured this entire academy. The others are all being held prisoner in a secure bunker. I alone managed to avoid capture.

"But anyway, you must be that new recruit, Halley Proxima. Renu said you'd be coming."

"Uh, yeah, right. I'm Halley."

"Okay then, Halley. How's about we get these Vilions out of our academy? I can't do it alone, but with your help, I think we can pull it off. By the way: call me Karanga."

* * *

"Karanga!" Lilo cried in shock. "But he's Halley's sworn enemy! This makes it sound like they were friends!"

"Well, that's what it says here," Pleakley pointed out.

"But, that can't be right!"

"Maybe you should be letting him continue reading, Little Girl," Jumba suggested. "Perhaps that will be doing the explaining."

"Jumba? How long have you been back?"

"Long enough to hear about Comet arriving at academy."

"Where _is_ Halley?"

"She is still searching room, trying to be finding anything else of hers." Jumba sat down. "Well, go on, Pleakley. What happened next?"

* * *

In a security bunker in the lowest level of the academy, the Academy Aliens knelt in a huddled group, guarded by at least twenty Vilions. At the present time, everyone was looking at one particular Vilion. This Vilion was the biggest of all of them, ad his body was greatly scarred. This was the Vilion leader, Reisar, and he was scowling at one of his underdogs, currently cowering in front of him.

"How could you idiots loose one intruder?" Reisar bellowed. "Do you have any idea what would happen if he got away and warned others we were here? The entire Galactic Armada would be here within a standard hour, and they'd have us shipped off to the nearest black hole! Find the intruder, NOW! Kill him if you must!"

"Yes, Reisar." The Vilion subordinate trembled as he hurried off.

Unknown to Reisar, Karanga and Halley were listening from an overhead air duct.

"Clever idea, Halley," Karanga complemented.

"Yeah. I used to sneak around the air ducts all the time back on Turo. Of course, then it was just to snitch food from the dining hall's storage rooms after hours. So, there are over twenty Vilions, armed to the teeth, against just the two of us; we know our liabilities, what are our assets?"

"My strength and your guile."

"That's it? How do you expect to pull this off? Maybe if one of us was, I don't know, a Manglioid, we'd have a chance, but…"

"I could change into one, if it could help."

"Wha…?"

"My species are shape-shifters."

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"You didn't ask."

Sometime later, two Vilions were searching for Halley in the Academy's mess hall. Suddenly, the door panel opened and Reisar stormed in.

"What are you two idiots doing in here?" He screamed. "I sent you to find that intruder, not play around."

"Sir, we picked up the intruder's heat signature in this room somewhere." One Vilion reasoned.

"Then why did I just receive word of him in the control room? GET UP THERE AND KILL HIM!" The two Vilions hurried off to the control room. Once they were out of sight, Reisar transformed back into Karanga.

"They're all yours, Halley," he grinned.

Up in the control room, the Vilions continued the search, unaware that Halley was perched on an overhanging lighting structure, waiting for the right moment, which finally came when one Vilion came to stand right beneath her. Halley removed a small laser from her belt and cut through the fixture with it. Following the laws of gravity, the lighting structure fell on the unfortunate Vilion. The other turned in shock, and immediately tried calling for backup.

"The intruder's in the control room! Come…." The Vilion never had a chance to finish. Halley dropped down from the ceiling and tackled him into the console unit, his head slamming into the hard edge, knocking him unconscious on impact.

"Sorry, amigo." Halley spoke to the Vilion. "It was nothing personal.

"Reisar!" A Vilion hurried into the security bunker. "It's the intruder! We got a transmission saying he was in the control room, but the line went dead immediately afterward."

"Incompetence!" Reisar struck the Vilion, killing him instantly. "One intruder is making you fools look like gullible children. I'll deal with him myself." With that, Reisar stormed out. The Vilions who were left to guard the Academy Aliens began to talk in hushed tones.

"This intruder, I heard he defeated three of us without any weapons. What kind of Alien could do that?"

"You don't think he could be a subspecies of a people-eating puss monkey, do you?"

"Impossible. What could mate with something like that?" Before anyone else could continue, the door reopened, and Reisar returned.

"Did you find the intruder, sir?" Instead of replying, Reisar removed a stun ray from its holster, and fired at each of the Vilions. Reisar looked down at the still Vilions, before turning to the imprisoned Academy Aliens, who were looking back at him in confusion. Reisar smiled kindly as he transformed back into Karanga.

"Karanga! It's you!" One Academy Alien laughed in relief.

"You didn't think I'd abandon you lot to these piles of space slug slime, did you?" Karanga replied, releasing them from their shackles. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Karanga and the Academy Aliens froze at the sight of the real Reisar, aiming a plasma cannon at Karanga. Reisar fired at the same time Karanga dove out of the way. As a result, Karanga's shoulder took the hit. The Ant-like Alien lay on the ground, holding his injured shoulder.

"You were a fool to think you could outwit me." Reisar spat. "You seriously thought I'd have left those dirt clods to guard this room alone? I only left to trick you into coming in here, with your guard down. Now, every last one of Renu's little group are under my watch. And once Renu decides to show his face here, he can watch as my Vilion army disposes of every last one of you."

"If you're so eager to shed blood, let's start with yours!" Halley instantly dropped down from the air duct and leapt for Reisar, who was momentarily stunned how anyone could be so brave or stupid as to take him on unarmed. His shock quickly dissolved, and he tried to shove Halley against the wall. However, Halley's bio-mechanical armor had been designed to increase her strength tenfold, placing her on equal footing to Reisar. Sensing this, Reisar changed his tactic, and tugged Halley forward. Reisar took hold of Halley's helmet, and tried to crush her skull in. Acting quickly, Halley unclipped her helmet off her armor, and pulled her head out of harm's way.

"You! You're just a weak, insignificant earth child! You can't possibly think you stand a chance, do you?"

"You can insult me because of my earthly origin all you want; I'm used to it." Halley retorted, remembering Gantu's attitude toward her. "Who cares if I'm as weak and pathetic as you think I am? When I defeat you, it'll prove that you're even _more_ weak and pathetic then me."

* * *

_A young Halley satin Area 51's main hanger, trying to bandage a fresh cut on her cheek. Suddenly, he looked up to see Cobra standing over her._

_"Let me guess. You got into a fight with the Mather boys again?" Cobra helped Halley stick the band-aid on her cut. "I keep telling you to not listen to what they say."_

_"I know, Mr. Bubbles. But I can't stand it when they say how I'm weak just because I'm a girl. What difference does it make?"_

_"It makes no difference, but not everyone can realize that, Halley. It's one of life's cruel truths. I promise you'll meet people like the Mather boy all your life. But if you respond to their taunts like this, you're just doing what they want you too. Remember that story I told you about the rats who wanted their daughter to marry the strongest creature there was?"_

_"Yes. They found that the rat was the strongest all along."_

_"Exactly. The rat was the strongest, even though it did not seem like it. And like the rat, you have to prove you're stronger then anything else."_

_"I know. That's what I was trying to do today."_

_"You don't need to prove your strength that way. You have a brain, don't you? Use it."

* * *

_

With a jolt, Halley's mind returned to the present, just in time to dodge Reisar's attack. As she did so, she noticed the singed wall, where the plasma cannon blast Reisar had meant for Karanga, had hit. Small sparks occasionally leaked out from the damaged wall, meaning only one thing: the blast had nicked an electrical wire in the wall.

_Mr. Bubbles, if I ever can return to Earth, I'm going to try to find you, to thank you for telling me those things._

Halley ran to the wall and, placing her back to the wall, turned to face Reisar.

"What's wrong, Horn-Face?" Halley taunted. "Don't tell me you're giving p already to a weak, insignificant earth child?" Halley's taunt hit home, and Reisar charged at Halley. But as Reisar's punch flew through the air, Halley darted out of the way at the last minute. As a result, Reisar's fist hit the wall, the force of the punch shattering the already damaged surface, and bringing the wiring in contact with Reisar's hand. The electrical surge pulsated trough Reisar's body for half a minute, until the Vilion leader fell back, dazed and half unconscious. Halley sighed in satisfaction, as she removed a pair of manacles form one of the Academy Aliens, and placing them on Reisar. Once Reisar was secure, Halley went over to see Karanga's injury.

"Good thing you noticed that Plasma Cannon Reisar was holding. If you had hesitated for another second, he would have killed you."

"Thanks, but why didn't you tell me you were from Earth?"

"You didn't ask." Halley laughed, repeating Karanga's word from earlier.

"Touché." Karanga smiled. "I guess that makes us even, then."

Soon, the rest of the Academy Aliens were freed, and Reisar and the entire army of the Vilions had been contained in the security bunker.

"Wait, I just thought of something," Halley paused, as Karanga reactivated the Academy's security systems. "In all the excitement, I forgot about Renu. What happened to him? I didn't see him among the others." Before Karanga could reply, the control room door opened, revealing Renu n the other side.

"I must say, I'm impressed, Miss Proxima," Renu commented. "I was expecting much more collateral damage to be done to my academy. But you managed to defeat Reisar with nothing but a damaged wall, and a broken lighting fixture."

"Wait a minute. Do you mean that you knew those Vilions were here when you asked me to come? That's why you asked be to come! You wanted me to do your work for you and get rid of them!"

"There's no need to get upset, Miss Proxima," Renu grinned. "Think of this whole ordeal as an… aptitude test. And you've passed with flying colors. Therefore, I'm willing to give you a place in the academy. Karanga, I trust you'd be willing to take our newest student under your wing?"

"Of course." Karanga agreed. "It turns out Halley and I make a good team." Renu nodded, and turned to leave, with Halley staring at him, visibly stunned at how Renu had used her. Before Renu left however, he looked back at Halley.

"Just one last thing, Miss Proxima," he said. "If you're willing to become a bounty hunter in this academy, we'll need to give you a second name. The name Halley wouldn't really strike fear in he hearts of Aliens. The Vilions have revealed that you took them down by coming and going, guerrilla style, never staying in the same place for more then once. Almost like a comet, wouldn't you say so Karanga?"

"The bounty hunter known as Comet?" Karanga nodded in approval. "It does have a certain ring to it."

"Comet." Halley blinked, once Renu had left. "Strange. It's like that name was destined for me. Before he died, my father said I was named after a comet."

* * *

"And that was how my life as the bounty hunter, Comet, began." Pleakley read.

"Keep going, Pleakley!" Lilo begged. "What happened next?"


	4. Chapter 3: The Mining Planet, Desp Pt 1

**AN:** I really hope I haven't lost any readers due to the long wait. I was having a long dry period. But I'm back. This chapter is split into two parts. Part two will be up as soon as it's written. So, enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Mining Planet, Desp (part one) 

Far from the planet Turo, there was a small rusty molten red planet. Not many Aliens passed by this particular planet, since it was so far out of the way of any other destination. This was the planet known as Desp, and it was the main source of Uburnium, the most powerful, yet economical, fuel source in the Galactic Federation. However, only a small handful of Aliens ever gave this lonely planet a thought, let alone wondered exactly what went on within this mining planet. However, all that was about to change forever.

* * *

A smug-looking Alien sat in a heavily decorated office. He resembled a wild dog, dressed up in fine, expensive clothing, and decked up with extensive jewelry. At the present time, he was looking at a holographic diagram, displaying positive financial figures with a satisfied look on his proud, haughty face. Suddenly, a buzzer sounded, signaling that there was someone outside the office, wanting to come in. The wealthy Alien pressed a button on his finely furnished desk, and the hologram faded away. 

"Enter." The Alien ordered. The door opened, and a tall robot led a figure dressed in full bio-mechanical armor into the office.

"We found this stranger docking his craft in the hanger bay, Mr. Reeple," the robot began. "He says that he is interested in a job here."

"Thank you," Mr. Reeple replied, not taking his eyes off the armored figure. "I'll take it from here." Once the robot had left, Mr. Reeple addressed the figure. "So, you wish to work on Desp?"

"You say that as if it's an odd request," the figure noted in a voice that was made steely and robotic by the rated mouthpiece built into the helmet. "Surely there's nothing wrong with wanting a job here in your mining industry, is there? After all, considering that Uburnium is such an inexpensive fuel source, you seem to be very well off, which leads me to believe your profits are very high. Thus, your workers must receive decent pay. Am I wrong in my assumptions?"

"Not at all. The workers receive exactly the amount they deserve." Before the conversation could continue, the door opened, and a second Alien, also resembling a wild dog, entered the room, carrying a tray full of rare Alien delicacies. This Alien was a young female, with a distinct beauty and grace all around her.

"Sorry to interrupt your business," the Alien female apologized in a sweet, kind voice. "But I thought you'd be hungry for lunch."

"Thank you, my dear." Mr. Reeple nodded, as the female Alien placed the tray in front of him. "Forgive me," he continued to the armored figure. "This is my daughter, Leem Reeple."

"It's a pleasure, Miss Reeple," The armored figure bowed in respect. "You may refer to me as Comet."

"That's an interesting name." Mr. Reeple commented. "I've never heard of anyone with a name like that."

"Just wait, Mr. Reeple. I guarantee that the time is soon coming when you'd be hard pressed to find an Alien who hasn't heard my name."

"I see you are ambitious, Comet. I admire that. Perhaps I could use you. Leem, please ask one of my assistants to bring that miner, what's his name? Zabarian?"

"Zanzabarian?" Leem offered. Comet couldn't help but notice a slight excited trill in Leem's voice, but Mr. Reeple seemed to miss it.

"Yes, him. Tell my assistants to bring him up here. He can take Comet to the mines for me." Once Leem had left, Mr. Reeple got up and approached Comet.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Mr. Reeple," Comet complemented. "If you'll forgive me for saying so, of course."

"Not at all. She is indeed very beautiful, just like her mother. But sadly, I sometimes fear she lacks the proper attitude to run our operation someday. But that's not important now. I actually have a special task for you, Comet. I'm afraid some of my miners are plotting trouble against me."

"Trouble?"

"I know it's shocking, but unfortunately there are some miners that need to be reminded of their place."

"And what place is that, Mr. Reeple?"

"Some Aliens are born to privileged existence. Others, like the miners, are not. Aliens like these miners have one purpose; to serve those born to the privileged existence, like myself and my daughter."

"You're speaking of the feudal system: Lords ruling over peons, in which the peons give everything they own and work for to the lords, receiving next to nothing in return."

"Yes, Comet, it's a cold truth, but some Aliens are born better then others. You are either born great, or born to be the dust of existence. There's no escaping the role you were born into."

"I understand exactly what you're saying, Mr. Reeple," Comet nodded, trying to keep any abhorrence out of the reply. "If there's something derogatory in an Alien, there's really no hope for him."

"Great minds really do think alike!" Mr. Reeple smiled. "That's the job I have for you, Comet. I want you to mix with my miners, and see if you can weed out the bad from the good."

"I shouldn't have a problem with that." Comet replied as the Robot returned, this time with another Alien. This Alien was a male, and the same species as Mr. Reeple and his daughter, Leem. However, unlike the Reeples, this Alien had no trace of fine living around him. He was dressed in nothing but simple, torn pants, his upper body completely bare. This showed off his well-muscled build, and sweat soaked fur, interrupted by an occasional scar. This Alien clearly was one of the miners.

"I was told you called for me, Sir," the Alien Miner muttered, making a clear note to keep his eyes on the floor, and not make eye contact.

"I did, Zabarian. You are to take Comet with you to the mines, and get him started."

"Yes, Sir," The Alien replied, visibly trying very hard to not correct Mr. Reeple and say that his name was not Zabarian, but Zanzabarian.

* * *

Shortly afterward, Zanzabarian and Comet were heading down to the mines. 

"So," Comet began. "Your name's Zanzabarian? That's quite a mouthful."

"That's my last name, Comet. My given name, it's Xamps."

"Oh. I like that. At least it's easier to pronounce." Comet glanced over to Xamps, to get a better look at him. Despite the fact that he had been clearly beaten down from working in the mines, he still held a certain handsome charm in his face.

"Forgive me if I sound impertinent. I just can't help wondering how you ended up working here."

"My parents were miners, too. Back when Mr. Reeple's father was in charge of the mining operations. They both died a few years ago, when they were taking up a task that they were no longer strong enough to handle. As for me, I was born to two miners. Thus, I wasn't qualified to be anything else. Uburnium Miners are always on the bottom of the society pyramid."

As Xamps and Comet reached the mines, Comet was suddenly taken back by how hot it was. It felt as if they had just entered a sauna, which made Comet grateful for the automatic heat control system that had been built into the bio-mechanical armor, which kicked on immediately.

"Looks like we made it in time for our shift's meal break." Xamps noted a group of miners sitting in a shady corner, passing around a canteen of water. As soon as Xamps and Comet joined them, Comet noticed Leem walking up, carrying a woven basket. Xamps instantly tensed up as he saw her walking up with a sweet smile.

"Hello again, everyone." Leem greeted.

"Miss Reeple, you really must stop this," one miner softly scolded. "Your father would blow a gasket if he knew you were down here with the miners."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Leem waved away the miner's concern. "You can't expect me to let you all work without a substantial ration. This will be my company one day, so I might as well start caring for my future employees now." With that, Leem started passing out large slices of some kind of Alien cake-bread. The last slice was given to Xamps. Comet noticed that Xamp's slice was slightly larger then the others, and suddenly remembered the way Leem's face had lit up when Mr. Reeple had mentioned Xamps. At the present time, Xamps was giving Leem a goofy grin.

"You really spoil us far too much, Miss Reeple."

"For the millionth time, Xamps Zanzabarian. Please, call me Leem."

"I dare not. I hate to think what your father would do if he heard a worker speak to his daughter and heir in such an informal manner. You are still my better, Miss Reeple."

"Only in the eyes of my father. Not in mine." With that, Leem hurried off, with Xamps watching her go, his eyes never leaving her until she was out of sight.

* * *

That night, Comet woke up in the Miner's Barracks. It couldn't have been later than three in the morning, standard time. Silently, Comet left the room and quickly found a small niche in the wall. Comet made sure no one was around before removing her helmet, revealing the face of Halley Proxima. Halley took out a communicator that had been hidden in her waist side pouch, and activated it. The image of the Grand Councilwoman's face appeared. 

"Phase One is complete, Your Majesty." Halley announced. "Mr. Reeple doesn't suspect that his new 'worker' is actually a double agent, placed by you in order to determine the truth behind the rumors about the mistreatment of the Miners on Desp."

"I appreciate that you are doing this, Miss Proxima." The Grand Councilwoman noted. "But I also advise you to be careful. I do not want to see you killed while doing a task for me."

"There is no need to worry, Majesty. Don't forget, I have spent the past two years in training at Renu's Academy. Karanga prepared me for any situation that could conceivably be thrown at me. Besides, I will always be willing to do personal favors for you. I owe you more then I can ever give. I have not forgotten how you gave me a place to stay after my father and I crashed on Turo, and supported me financially until I could find a job of my own. I best be going, though. I don't want anyone noticing I'm gone. There is still Phase Two: actually determining if Mr. Reeple is truly mistreating his workers."

"Very well. Good luck, Miss Proxima. I await your next report." After the Grand Councilwoman had signed off, Halley placed her helmet back on, once again taking up her guise as Comet. However, as she started to return to the Miner's Barracks, she ran into Xamps, who was standing in the hall. The look on his face made Halley realize that he had heard the entire exchange.


End file.
